Shirt yoke



19, 1952 c. D. WILLIAMSON 2,607,041

SHIRT YOKE Filed April 4. 1951 IN V EN T 0R. @mRms D, WILLIFSMS 0N ms ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 19, 1952 snm'r YOKE Charles D. Williamson, Fort Worth, Tex., assignor to Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company, Fort Worth, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application April 4, 1951, Serial No. 219,265 4 This inventioneoncerns utility or work shirts and particularly relates to an improved yoke construction forsuch shirts.

In the. manufacture of utility shirts, it has been the practice to provide a one piece yoke extending across the shoulder portion of the shirt and having parallel front and back edges forming substantially straight lines across the shirt. With such a constructiomthe seam across the top of the shoulder is subjected to considerable friction resulting in excessive wear on the shoulder portion of the shirt. Efforts to increase wearing qualities by reinforcing the shirt or rearranging the seam have not been successful, Usually, modification in the construction of the yoke has resulted in a poor fit or the use of more material thereby increasing the cost of the shirt.

A major object of this invention is to improve the wearing quality and fit of the shoulder portion of a utility shirt withoutincreasing the cost of the shirt. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide in a utility shirt a yoke construction which conforms to the shoulder, reduces friction at the shoulder seams, and is economical to manufacture.

In the attainment of these objects, one main feature of the inventionfresides in the arrangement of a two piece yoke with front and back edges diverging outwardly and downwardly from the neck to armholeson opposite sides of the shirt. The front edges of the yoke pieces are secured to the frontand back panels at seams extending downwardly and outwardly from the neck of the shirt .to the armholesand joining front panels to shoulder portions of the back panel on opposite sides of the neck. Another feature of the invention thus resides in the arrangement of yoke pieces extending downwardly from the top of the shoulder in the front and the back of the shirt to provide'a comfortable and attractive fit on the shoulder of the wearer while, at the same time, providing increased wearing qualities- 3 Claims. (01. 2-422) In the form illustrated in the drawings, the shirt has a back panel I I provided at its top with shoulder portions I2 and I3 extending on opposite sides of a neck opening I4. Thus, the back panel with its shoulder portions forms the rear half of the neck opening I4. The ends of the shoulder portions I2 and I3 extend radially from the neck opening. When the back panel is flattened, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the edges of the shoulder portions II and I2 extend in a straight line transversely across the center of the neck opening I4.

These straight edges of the shoulder portions I2 and I3 are respectively joined, as by stitching, to front panels I 5 and IS. The edges of the front panels I5 and i6, which are stitched to the shoulder portions of the back panel, are disposed at an acute angle with respect to vertical fastening edges I! and I8 extendingdown the front of the shirt. Thus, front panel I5 is secured to shoulder portion I2 by a line of stitching I9 extending radially from neck opening I4 and downwardly and outwardly to an armhole 2I formed by back panel II and front panel I5 at the side of the shirt. Similarly, the line of stitching 22 connecting front panel I6 to shoulder portion I3 extends radially from neck opening I4 downwardly and outwardly acrossthe front of the shirt to armhole '23 at the side of the shirt. Thus, the shirt construction so far described departs from the usual shirt construction in that the seams I9 and 22 connecting the front and back panels extend downwardly and outwardly from the neck opening to the armholes instead of extending transversely across the shirt.

A two piece yoke construction has one yoke panel 24. This yoke panel has front and back edges 25 and 26 diverging outwardly from the neck opening I4. An inner edge 21 is shaped to conform to a portion of the neck opening I4 extending from the seam I9 around the back panel and across the center of the back panel. Outer side edge 28 is shaped to conform to the armhole 2 I. This yoke panel 24 is superimposed on shoulder portion I2 of the back panel II with the straight front edge 25 in alinement with the seam formed by stitching l9 joining front panel I5 with shoulder portion l2 of the back panel II. Preferably, front edge 25 is joined to the front and back panels by the same stitching I9 at a seam extending radially from the neck opening I4 to the armhole 2i; When the shirt is completed, yoke panel'24 extends downwardly from the top of the shoulder in the front and in the back of the shirt so side edge 28 extends along armhole 2| from the seam formed by stitching i9 upwardly along the front of the shirt, across the top of the shoulder and down the back of the shirt. Rear edge 26 may be secured to the back panel II by stitching 29 so the rear edge 26 also extends downwardly and outwardly from the neck opening I4 to the armhole 2|. When the shirt is completed, the inner edge 21 is secured to the back panel along with the formation of the neckband. Likewise, outer edge 28 may be secured by stitching 3i when the sleeve is inserted in the armhole 2 I.

A similar yoke panel 32 is arranged on the opposite shoulder of the shirt. Front edge 33 is alined with the juncture of the front panel It with shoulder portion I3 of the back panel II and secured by the same stitching 22 as forms the seam between the front and back panels. Inner side edge 34 extends from the seam 22 around the neck opening I4, across the center of the back panell I to a point adjacent the neck opening I 4 on the opposite'side of the center of the back panel. Back edge 35' extends upwardly and inwardly from armhole 23 across the center of the back panel to a, point where the back edge 35 merges with neck opening I4. Outer side edge 36 conforms to the shape of the armhole 23.

I In the manufacture of the complete shirt, shirt yoke 32 is first secured tothe back and front panels II and I 6, respectively. Then, panel 2 is positioned on the shirt and stitched in the manner described with point 31, formed by back edge 25 and inner side edge 21 overlapping corresponding point 33 formed by back edge 35 and inner side edge 34 of the yoke panel 32. Back edge 35 of panel 32 may be secured by stitching 39 to the back panel I I so the back edge 35 extends downwardly and outwardly from the neck opening It across the back of theshirt to the armhole 23.

With the parts of the shirt thus assembled, the two shoulder portions I2 and I3 of the back panel I I extend along opposite sides of neck opening I4 and are joined to front panels l5 and I6 along edges of the front panels which are inclined at acute. angles to the verticalfastening edges I? and I8. Each yoke panel has outwardly diverging front and back edges with an inner side edge shaped to conform to the shape of the neck opening and an outer side edge shaped to conform to the shape of an armhole. The front edges of the yoke panels are respectively secured by stitching I3 and 22 forming the seams joining the front panels to the shoulder portions of the back panels. When assembled, the front and back edges of both yoke panels extend downwardly and outwardly from the neck opening to the respective armholes. At the back of the neck, points of the two yoke panels overlap so both yoke panels extend across the center of the back panel adjacent the neck opening.

With the construction described, the diverging front and back edges of the yoke provide well fitting shoulder portions for the shirt. With the yoke, as well as the shoulder portions of the back panel, extending across the shoulders of the shirt and downwardly to the front seams, wear normally occurring at the top shoulder seam is greatly reducedbecause the friction at the seam is eliminated.

Preferably, short front edges 25 and 33 of the yoke panels 24 and 32 are cut parallel to yarns of which the shirt material is woven. With the small size and irregular shape of the two yoke panels, these two yoke panels may be economically cut from material which would otherwise be wasted. A shirt having yokes with improved wearing and fitting qualities in accordance with the present invention may be manufactured with less waste than a shirt having a straight yoke extending across the shoulders because the two piece yokes may be cut with a greater saving of material than the one piece yoke heretofore used. Thus, according to this invention, the fit is enhanced and the wearing quality of the shoulder portions is improved, and the cost of manufacture is reduced.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shirt having a back panel with shoulder portions extending on opposite sides of a neck opening and joined to front panels by seams extending downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of the neck opening to armholes at the sides of the shirt, a pair of yoke panels, each panel having outwardly diverging front and back edges with one side edge conforming tothe shape of the neck opening and; the other side edge conforming to the shape of the armhole, the front edges of .said panels being secured to the front and back panels at said seams, the ba'ckedges being secured to said back panel along lines ex-' tending downwardly and outwardly from the neck opening to the respectivearmholes, the side edges of said yoke panels being secured to said back panel along said neck opening and said armholes. V

2. In a shirt having a back panel with shoulder portions extending on opposite sides of a neck opening and joined to front panels by seams extending downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of the neck opening to armholes at'the sides of the shirt, a pairv of yoke panels having front edges respectively secured to the front and back panels at said seams, back edgeson said yoke panels diverging outwardly from the respective front edges, said back edges extending upwardly and inwardly from the armholes along the back of the shirt to the portion of said back panel forming the back of the neck opening, the back edge of one yoke panel overlappingthe back edge of the other yoke panel at said neck opening.

3. In a shirt having a back panel with shoulder portions extending on opposite sides of a neck opening and joined tofront panels by seams extending downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of the neck opening to armholes at the sides of the shirt, a pair of yoke panels, each yoke panel having front and backedgesdiverging outwardly, the front edges being secured to said front and back panels at said seems, the back edges extending inwardly and upwardly from the REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Spero Jan. 21, 1919 Number 

